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Bolton Wanderers have strengthened their squad ahead of the new Premier League season with the signing of Real Madrid defender Marcos Alonso.

The 19-year-old left-back joins fellow summer signings Robbie Blake and Martin Petrov at the Reebok Stadium and has penned a three-year deal at the Lancashire-based outfit, after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed transfer fee.

He made his debut for the La Liga giants last season after he replaced Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain in their 2-0 victory over Racing Santander and, although he may not make an instant impact, Trotters manager Owen Coyle believes he is certainly one for the future.

Speaking to the club's official website, Coyle said"He is an exciting young player who has undoubted quality and he will bring that into our mix. I think that we have a real talent on our hands.

"I have said before that when we are investing money in transfers that I want to do it with young, talented players.

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"He isn't the finished article yet – he's a young player making his way – but you don't get through at Real Madrid without having a bit about you."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Everton have been handed a huge boost as midfielder Marouane Fellaini has agreed to a new five-year contract that will keep him at the club until June 2016.

The Belgium international’s deal at Goodison Park was due to expire in the summer of 2013, and there were fears on Merseyside that the club would be forced to sell their prize asset this summer to avoid losing him on a Bosman ruling.

However after negotiations over the last number of months Fellaini has put pen to paper on a new contract.

“We’re all pleased that Marouane Fellaini has signed his new contract and we’re looking forward to working with him in the years to come,” coach David Moyes stated.

Club chief executive Robert Elstone has admitted that the agreement is excellent news for the side, and that Fellaini is an important member of Moyes’ squad.

“We are delighted to have secured the services of Marouane for the long term,” Elstone told the club’s official website.

“As everyone is aware these negotiations have been ongoing for some time but both parties remained positive that we would reach agreement.

“Marouane has been a hugely influential player for Everton since his arrival in 2008 and we hope that remains to be the case for the next five years,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Aston Villa missed a penalty and a hatful of chances, allowing Bolton to snatch all three points 3-2 from their clash at the Reebok Stadium.

Former Villa defender Gary Cahill twice pulled Wanderers level after goals from Darren Bent and Marc Albrighton had put the visitors ahead before Ivan Klasnic fired them in front five minutes from time.

Villa boss Gerard Houllier was left to rue a series of missed opportunities including a fantastic penalty save from Jussi Jaaskelainen to deny Ashley Young.

The result meant Houllier’s decision to rest his key players in midweek backfired disastrously with his side still in relegation trouble as well as dumped out of the FA Cup.

The Frenchman made nine changes from the side that limped out of the Cup competition at Manchester City on Wednesday night, with in-form wingers Young and Stewart Downing recalled alongside the cup-tied Bent.

And Bent almost made an immediate impact when he latched onto a Young through-ball but when face-to-face with Jaaskelainen, the England striker dithered and left the ball behind as he tried to go round the keeper.

They were deservedly ahead in the 16th minute with a smart break started by Luke Young in his own half. The ball was worked to Kyle Walker, who raced past Stuart Holden and crossed to Bent, who couldn’t miss from four yards.

The former Sunderland striker, who has scored in 13 of his last 14 games against Bolton, almost added to his tally when David Wheater’s headed clearance hit him in the face and ricocheted off the bar.

But on the stroke of half-time Cahill drew Wanderers level with a near-post header from Martin Petrov’s corner.

Villa should have restored their advantage after the break but wasted two gilt-edged chances. First, Downing blasted off target from six yards after good work from Albrighton.

Then Bent’s shot was heroically blocked by Wheater and when the ball fell for Young, Bolton keeper Jaaskelainen was at his brilliant best to keep out his strike.

Villa finally got the second in the 65th minute when Downing stormed past Paul Robinson to cross for the unmarked Albrighton to scramble home.

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And the visitors should have wrapped up all three points five minutes later when Young was brought down in the box by a clumsy Wheater challenge. The winger picked himself to take the spot kick but Jaaskelainen guessed correctly and made a fine low save to his right.

And Houllier’s side were made to pay when Cahill pulled Bolton level again when he followed up his own header saved by Brad Friedel.

Then, with just four minutes to go, Klasnic finished brilliantly on the turn to steal the victory.

I had been planning on watching the World Cup’s third place play-off because I wanted to squeeze the last drops out of this World Cup, but also because I was unsure of what to expect from it. On one hand I could see an open, free-flowing, attacking game – the game in the World Cup with comparatively little to play for and thus less pressure but equally high levels of passion. But on the other hand I could see the factor of this being an ‘unimportant game’ equalling a drab, lifeless affair where the only decision both teams cared about was when the final whistle would blow.

Of course I hoped for the former.

The former is what I got. Even though both team’s achievements after the World Cup will be reaching the semi-finals as opposed to where they actually finish on Saturday night, they both wanted to win the game.

It was one last hurrah for two teams who have created two of the best stories from this World Cup – Germany’s demolition of Argentina and Uruguay’s thriller against Ghana. But it also served a purpose for individual players. Those who had an eye on the golden boot and those who would not play in another World Cup had a last chance to make an impact.

The first half sprung into life with Germany playing the no-fear, expansive, passing football which has brought them so many new fans and admirers over the last four weeks. They deservingly took the lead when Muller reacted quickest to a goalkeeping error and brought himself into the reckoning for the coveted Golden Boot. If anyone doubted the passion before the game, Schweinsteiger’s reaction to giving the ball away prior to Uruguay’s goal showed how much he wanted to win it.

To say that the second half started in the vein of that first half ended may be doing it an injustice. Forlan’s superbly controlled volley not only gave Uruguay a lead, but also shook up the race for the Golden Boot even further, bringing him level with Muller, Villa and Sneijder. If you’d made a cup of tea after that goal, you’d have missed Germany’s equaliser. The final 2-3 score line in favour of Germany seemed justified in regards both to the game itself and the tournament as a whole. Two consecutive 3rd place finishes is one hell of an achievement.

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Neither team wanted to lose, but equally neither team was scared to lose – attitudes unique in this World Cup. These things combined equalled an engrossing and enjoyable 90 minutes and answered any questions that I had before the game. The final whistle brought no trophy, just the pride of coming 3rd and the satisfaction of winning a fifth game at this year’s World Cup. What England would have given for that?

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hailed star striker Robin van Persie, after the hitman bagged a brace in the 3-1 win over Stoke on Sunday.

The Netherlands international started the game on the bench, but entered the fray at 1-1 to score the decisive goals for the Emirates outfit.

With Van Persie now carrying the bulk of The Gunners’ goal-scoring responsibilities, the French coach was full of praise for the match-winner.

“Leaving a player like Robin out is always a risk but medically he needed a break,” Wenger told Sky Sports.

“We knew we could have 20 to 30 minutes without that risk and he used that time well. He has fantastic quality and when you look at his record it’s remarkable.”

Arsenal started the Premier League slowly, but have started to put a revival together, and Wenger feels his side are improving with every game.

“It was an important game for us. You could see we played well and played with spirit.

“Our fans are behind the team completely again after a difficult period because they see that the team plays with a fantastic attitude. Our quality is improving from game to game,” he concluded.

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Wenger’s men face a test to see how far they have come next weekend, as they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on London rivals Chelsea.

By Gareth McKnight

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Roy Hodgson is refusing to set West Brom a points target as he looks to drag the Baggies away from the relegation zone.West Brom are currently 17th with 28 points – just one off the bottom three ahead of Monday’s trip to Stoke. “It’s a little bit dangerous to start playing fantasy football and working out where you will get your points and other teams will drop their points,” Hodgson said.”For me the only thing we can do is take every game as it comes.””Traditionally we all think at the start of the season that 40 points will be enough, but there’s no guarantee, that 40 points will keep you in the league.”Stoke have built a reputation as a tough side to beat at home but Hodgson insists he will not change his tactics to suit their style of play.”Every week you play a team which has a slightly different focus to its play and normally when you start the week you tend to prepare your work around that focus,” he added.”It’s still important for us to do a load of things rights as far as we’re concerned, that we don’t change our game totally for the opposition, that we have a game of our own and a game plan of our own.”Hodgson has also reported he has no injury worries for the trip to the Britannia.

Jamie Carragher has confirmed his return to international football for the World Cup was a "one-off".

The Liverpool defender came out of international retirement to join up with England in South Africa.

The 32-year-old made two appearances during England's dismal campaign which ended at the last 16 stage to Germany.

However, Carragher has no plans to continue playing for the Three Lions.

"This was a one-off thing," he said."The manager said he had a few injuries and I came into the squad and helped.

"I was delighted with the opportunity to play in a World Cup and work with (Fabio) Capello but I have always said the most important thing for me is Liverpool Football Club.

"We have a new boss now in Roy Hodgson and I want to do everything I can to help him and help the club get back up where we belong."

Meanwhile, Carragher has backed the Football Association's decision to retain their faith in Capello despite England's below-par performance in South Africa.

"He certainly deserves another crack at the England job," he told his club's official website.

"Obviously I wasn't involved in the qualifying stages, but that went great. The World Cup hasn't gone as well – so maybe I'm the problem, not Capello!

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"Bobby Robson went out on a high in 1990, but a few tournaments didn't go too well for him.

"That's part of the game and I am sure with the experience of this tournament, hopefully the lads will get to the next one and be a lot better for it.

"I don't think there are many managers out there with the record he has got."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Wolverhampton Wanderers want an end to the on-going furore regarding the transfer, of star striker, Steven Fletcher.

The Scotsman has been subject to a couple of bids from the Wearsiders, but Sunderland are yet to reach the Black Country club’s £15 million valuation of the frontman.

Speaking moments after a £12 million bid was turned down for Fletcher, Wolves Chief Executive, Jez Moxey called for an end to the saga. “We want to keep our best players.

“If valuations are not met they will remain at Wolves. All parties need to draw a line under this matter, which has now dragged on for more than a month.” (Independent)

Last week Fletcher made his intentions clear, taking to Twitter to confirm he had handed in a transfer request. Yet Wanderers feel no pressure to sell due to the club’s financial stability. They still have the highly coveted Matt Jarvis, on their books, despite demotion from the Premier League.

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Desperation to add a goal-scorer on Wearside has been well-documented. No player reached double figures in the league for the North East Club last term. While Martin O’Neill’s men’s fire-power could be hampered further by an injury which has kept, Sunderland’s main creative force, Stephane Sessegnon side-lined throughout pre-season.

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Fernando Torres makes his way to the top of our newsdesk for the second day running after video has appeared of the Spaniard seemingly criticising his Chelsea teammates for being “too slow” – and apportioning part of the blame for his poor performance to their lack of pace. Manager Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed the club are “going in-depth” to find the original video, which Torres insists was mis-translated from the Spanish. Problem is, it appeared on his own website.

Elsewhere around today’s papers, Rafael van der Vaart questions Spurs’ dedication to the Europe League, Arsene Wenger has warned that none of the English clubs can stop Spain’s big two, Sir Alex Ferguson reveals that Manchester United will turn to their more experienced players for Wednesday’s clash with Benfica, and Liverpool are learning to take the rough with the smooth.

FA deny Channel 4 programme’s accusations of covering up drugs tests – Daily Mirror

Anzhi Makhachkala must wait for Capello – but not for long – Daily Mail

Wenger fears none of the English giants can handle Barcelona – or Real – The Sun

Fergie: Newest Fledglings not ready for the biggest stage just yet – The Guardian

Villas-Boas admits club are chasing Torres video – Daily Mail

Van der Vaart unimpressed by Spurs’ Euro apathy – The Sun

Sunderland want-away Gyan believes Al-Ain are an “important” club – Daily Mail

FA seeking to change its image, taking cues from across the pond – The Guardian

Dalglish escapes fine – but defender Johnson is less fortunate – Daily Mirror

Cahill: Regardless of financial situation, Everton don’t need to spend – Daily Mirror

Rovers game a ‘baptism of fire’ for new boy Ruiz – The Independent

Henry Winter’s take on last night’s QPR-Newcastle stalemate – Daily Telegraph

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Juventus’ inconsistent form reared its ugly head again with a 2-0 loss at Lecce, while AC Milan kept the field at bay with another win.Juve’s hopes of snatching a European berth were put in jeopardy by their latest defeat, which came ater Gianluigi Buffon was sent off at the Stadio Communale Via del Mare.The Juve captain and goalkeeper saw red in the 12th minute for handballing outside the box, and Djamel Mesbah and Andrea Bertolacci made the Old Lady pay with goals either side of half-time.Luigi Delneri sacrificed Serbian midfielder Milos Krasic to bring on reserve shot-stopper Marco Storari for Buffon, but the incident seemed to rattle Juve and Lecce took full advantage in the 31st minute through Mesbah, the Algerian steering Gianni Munari’s lobbed pass beyond Storari.The hosts doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half through Bertolacci, the 20-year-old playmaker tapping home after being played in by David Di Michele’s header.Lecce also went down to 10 men when skipper Guiseppe Vives earned a second caution 20 minutes from injury time, but Juve were unable to capitalise and fell to their fourth loss in eight league fixtures.The latest defeat leaves them 14 points adrift of Serie A leaders Milan, though Palermo and Roma’s own dire form sees Delneri’s side safe in sixth place for now.For Lecce, the win takes them four points clear of the drop zone in 16th place.Elsewhere, Milan romped to a 2-1 win over 10-man Chievo thanks to substitute striker Alexandre Pato’s 82nd minute winner.The Brazilian latched onto a through ball by Gennaro Gattuso and shimmied his way through Chievo’s defenders before unleashing a wonder strike that goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino could do little about.The valuable away win maintains Milan’s five-point gap over second-placed Inter.Lazio edged past bottom-placed Bari 1-0 at home thanks to a lone goal from Brazilian playmaker Hernanes, while Roma slumped to a third straight loss in outrageous fashion, losing 4-3 at Genoa despite leading 3-0 at the break.Rodrigo Palacio and Alberto Paloschi scored braces for the hosts in the second half, providing yet another headache for under-fire Roma boss Claudio Ranieri.Meanwhile, Udinese’s upward momentum halted with a goal-less draw at home to lowly Brescia, Fiorentina and Sampdoria fought out a scoreless stalemate and Raffaele Palladino’s 89th-minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for Parma against strugglers Cesena.